Telegram is adding a new subscription plan called Telegram Premium.
Evidence of a Telegram Premium has been circulating for weeks as the company tested a beta on iOS. Telegram CEO and founder Pavel Durov confirmed the rumors this week, leading to his official channel (here is a picture if you don’t want to participate) to reveal the new level.
Larger files and faster speeds
Officially, the subscription plan, which will co-exist with the free service, will add new features (such as sending “extra-large documents”) and features and improve the speed of the app. Premium members will also have the first rights to these new features.
Durov clarifies that none of the free features will suddenly be thrown behind a paywall and expect new ones later. There will also be improved interactivity between Premium and Free users. For example, free users will be able to read the large files sent to them by paid members or tap Premium Reactions on pinned messages.
Not much can be taken away from Durov’s statement, but there are some potential leaks. according to one Telegram leak channelthe new Premium tier can include an upload size increase of up to 4GB, animated avatars, new chat management tools, and voice-to-text.
We contacted Telegram and asked if they could confirm any of these details, as well as what the price will be. Unfortunately, the official Telegram line did not respond to us.
Analysis: Need for funds
Monetization has been a point of contention for the company. For the past nine years, Telegram has been a free service, but that had to change because, as Durov explained on his channel, Telegram needs the money.
He reveals that as people asked Telegram to add more features, the company faced sustainability issues. If Telegram added everything people wanted, server costs would become totally “unmanageable” and could force you to shut down the app, according to Durov. The Premium tier is a way for users to directly support the application.
Telegram has experimented with various crowdfunding methods in the past. some like Sponsored messages, have been maintained and integrated into the app’s Ad Platform. Others were more disastrous like yours. billion dollar blockchain platform, TON. The SEC eventually took notice of TON with Durov quickly abandoning ship and scrapping the project.
It will be interesting to see if Telegram Premium is the money maker the company wants it to be. Compared to something like the failed blockchain project, a Premium tier is more realistic. If you are interested in encrypted messaging apps, has a list of the best for 2022.